Ministry of Minority Affairs
Minority Affairs Minister Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi inaugurates an oxygen plant at Bilaspur in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.
Efforts and appeal of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to tackle Corona pandemic have shown results as more than 1500 medical oxygen plants are being installed across the country under “PM-CARES”: Shri Naqvi
The Minority Affairs Minister Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today inaugurated one of the six medical oxygen plants, installed by Radico Khaitan in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, at the Community Health Centre, Bilaspur in Rampur.
Speaking on the occasion Shri Naqvi said that efforts and appeal of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to tackle Corona pandemic have shown results as more than 1500 medical oxygen plants have been/are being installed across the country under “PM-CARES”.
He said that these six medical oxygen plants, with a capacity of 20 cubic meter medical oxygen generation per hour, are being installed by Radico Khaitan in Community Health Centres at Bilaspur , Bilhaur , Bhagwantpur , Mahoba , Manjhanpur  and Manikpur  . He said, better facilities and resources by the administration and precaution and self-restraint by the society can make the country free from Corona pandemic.
Shri Naqvi stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s commitment to good health and well-being of the people has ensured that India is strongly coming out from the Corona pandemic in comparison to those nations who already had better health resources.
The Minister said that when the first wave of the Corona came in India in 2020, there was a lack of resources to tackle the pandemic like Corona. But within one year of start of the Corona pandemic, India has become self-reliant in ventilators, medicines, PPE kits, N-95 masks, testing labs for Corona virus, ICU beds, Corona dedicated hospitals, medical oxygen etc. From just 900 MT per day before January 2020, production of medical oxygen has now been increased to more than 9000 MT per day.
Shri Naqvi said that today, there are two “Made in India” Corona vaccines available; more than 40 crore people above 18 years of age have been vaccinated; more than 80,000 Corona vaccination centres are functioning. There are more than 2624 Corona testing labs in the country. More than 44 crore 20 lakh Corona tests have been conducted so far; on an average more than 20 lakh Corona tests are being done every day.
Shri Naqvi said that India presently has an indigenous production capacity of over 10 lakh Corona testing kits per day. There are more than 2000 dedicated Corona hospitals; more than 4000 dedicated Corona health centres; about 13,000 Corona Care Centres. Total isolation beds  have been increased to around 15 lakhs as compared to about 10,000 before lockdown. ICU beds have been increased to more than 85,000 as compared to just 2000 before lockdown last year. Over 20,000 ICU beds are being added across the country out of which 20 % will be Pediatric ICU beds. Pediatric units are being created in all 736 districts.
More than 5 lakh indigenous N-95 masks and over 5 lakh PPE kits are being manufactured in India every day; more than 4 lakh Ventilator are being produced annually. COVID Response Package worth Rs. 23,123 crore has been approved for FY 2021-22.
Shri Naqvi further said that during the Corona challenges, in an unprecedented measure, the Government had provided free ration to 80 crore people. It has been continued and again 80 crore people are being provided free 5 kg/per person ration under “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana”. Free gas cylinders have been given to about 8 crore families; Rs 1500 have been given into bank accounts of 20 crore women; Rs 1 lakh crore “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” package has been given for welfare of every section; “Kisan Samman Nidhi” benefits have been provided to more than 10 crore farmers.